Beauty and the Gang Member--ON HOLD :(

Chapter 2- Alex

My alarm clock went off way to early. I slapped around for it, knocking it to the floor of the small apartment.

"Mierda." I said, rolling over and trying to feel for it on the floor.

"Wake up, hermano." I hear my little brother say. When I open my eyes, he's holding the alarm clock, still going off.

"Turn that off and get out." I rolled to my stomach.

"Uh-uh, Alex. Don't want to miss your first day of senior year." He laughed, tossing the alarm clock under my bed.

Shit. Now I have to get up to look for it. I cursed at Mario and rolled off the bed and swiped my hand under it trying to find the annoying alarm clock. Finally, my hands rested on cool plastic. I thumbed around for the off button.

When my room was silent, I lay back down to sleep, but not for long.

"Alex!"

"¿Cuál es, mamá?" I groaned, laying my arm over my eyes.

"Let's go! ¡Vamos!" She hurried over to my bed, ripping the blanket off of me. "It's your first day of senior year and you're not spending it sleeping!"

"Come on, mamá. Let me sleep." I groan. 

"No! I will not have a lazy son!" She walked to the bedroom door, and then turned around. "You have ten minutes or I'm coming in there again."

I groaned and swung my feet over the side of the bed, stretching. I glanced down at the scar the ran from my collarbone to my pec. I had gotten it when I fought some guy who didn't pay up. It was all part of the business.

I went to the bathroom to shower, wasting ten minutes before mi mamá pounded on the door, yelling that breakfast was ready.

I dressed in a pair of stained jeans and a black tee shirt, sliding the sleeve so it covered most of my gang tattoo. Most people at Ellis High didn't like to see gang tattoos, even though most of the Latino's were in fact a gang.

I sat down at the kitchen table across from Mario, who was 15 and thought he was hot shit.

Mamá put down a plate of huevos y tortillas down in front of me.

"Ma, can't I get something to go? I'm going to be late." I looked at the clock: 7:30.

"You weren't concerened about that when you were sleeping the day away. Now eat, Alejandro."

"Can't you call me Alex?"

She looked at me long and hard. "The name I gave you is Alejandro. Now eat. You're taking Mario to school with you today."

"I only have my bike." I reminded her.

"And I said take your brother." She pointed the spatula at me. "You, Alejandro Cruz, are starting the day off wrong."

Damn. When she wanted to be, Mamá was a real hardass.

"He'll ruin my reputation." I told her seriously. Mario looked up mad.

"Your reputación? As what? Latinos de sangre? You aren't anything more but a gang member, muchacho."

"Mario!" My mother yelled, disgusted. "Usted es agradable a su hermano!" 

"Yeah, Mario. Be nice to me. I am, after all, giving you a ride." I swallowed the last of my breakfast and got up, kissing Mamá on her cheek.

"Let's go, pendejo." I hollered to Mario, who was taking his sweet time.

"Alejandro! You be nice to Mario!" Mamá hollered after us. I waved to her.

"Helmet." I handed Mario the only helmet I had, which was dusty because I never wore it.

"No way, pendejo." He refused it.

"Take it, mierda de la cara." I shoved the helmet to his chest. "Mamá's lookin'." I nodded slightly to the window.

He cursed under his breath and slid the helmet over his head.

"Ready?" I asked him, starting the motorcycle and heading to school.

"Get off." I told him when we had parked at his building. Since he was a freshman, his building was across the street from mine.

"Fuck off." He said, recieving a kick in the leg from me. "Mamá would kill you if she heard that come out of your mouth." I warned him.

"Whatever." He walked off towards a group of white people. I drove away shaking my head. What's with it with him wanting to be white so bad?

I parked the motorcycle in the LB section of the parking lot and got off, walking up the steps of the school to hang with some other LB's before school started.

We were all talking and joking around when things got quiet in the group.

"Make way for the Princesa." Snickered Marco, another Blood. I looked up and saw Brittany Dawson and her friend making their way up the steps.

Should I? Yes. I stepped in front of her path.